Update: The entire eight-episode series is now available to watch here for $7.99, with all proceeds going to charity.
Not even 24 hours have passed since Steven Soderbergh’s new series, Full Circle, premiered on MAX, but the tireless writer-director-producer-editor-cinematographer has just announced the release of another, Command Z, which will be available to stream via Soderbergh’s site, Extension765, on July 17.
The series, which was filmed in secret but was known to be in production under the title The Pendulum Project, stars Michael Cera as the leader of a team of scientists that goes back in time to “America’s last inflection point: 2023” to make the future “more livable, fair, and decent for everyone.” This team of crusaders, which time travels with the help of a wormhole in a washing machine, includes Roy Wood Jr., Chloe Radcliffe, and Liev Schreiber.
According to the pseudonymous Extension765 employee “Fabrizia del Dongo” (Soderbergh), the series is ninety minutes long, with eight episodes scheduled. However, they did have this to say about the accuracy of their information:
“If I seem hedgy, it’s because A) None of us have seen it; and B) it’s apparently about ninety minutes long, but there are eight episodes of varying length, so is it an actual series or just a movie cut up into pieces? Frankly, I don’t care because what this means IN THE REAL WORLD is those of us in the Fulfillment Center (aka The BB, aka BLOFELD’S BASEMENT) are about to get some heavy traffic and oh, did I happen to tell you I ALSO RUN THE I.T. DEPARTMENT?”
Command Z, which was financed by Soderbergh himself, was filmed between shooting for his last film, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, and his latest series, Full Circle. It joins his ever-growing list of 2023 projects, which also includes Eddie Alcazar’s Sundance-selected film Divinity (on which he has a production credit) and his upcoming horror film, Presence, which is now in pre-production.
Fabrizia’s crazed correspondence ended thus: “When I asked Mr/Dr Soderbergh why he’d done this, why he’d made this project and why he’d made it in secret, he said, ‘Hope, Fabrizia. Hope and laughter.’ Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with this guy.” Nor do we, Fabrizia, nor do we.
Command Z premieres July 17 exclusively on Soderbergh’s website, Extension765.com. Check out the trailer here and see the poster below.
